STEMInstruments

Chimesproducesoundbecausetheyallhaveanaturalfrequency.Thenatural
frequencycanbeaffectedbytheshape,length,anddensityofthechime.Sinceallmaterials
havedifferentshapesanddensitiestheyallsoundeitherextremelydifferentorjustslightly
different.Welearnedthathardermaterialssuchasmetalandhardwoodresonatebetterthan
softermaterialslikerubberandplastic.OurgroupchosetouseEMTMetalPipesbecausethey
areeasytomanipulatetothesizeswewanted,theyarecheap,andtheyresonatenicely.To
startourchimesweneededtofindourstartingpipe.Wechosearelativelylongpipebecauseit
wouldmakeadeepersoundandweneededtomakesmallerpipestocreateaneightnote
octave.Smallerpipesmakeahigherpitchednoisebecausetheyareeasiertomove.Sincethey
areeasiertomovetheycanvibratefastercreatingahigherpitch,ashorterwavelength,anda
fasterfrequency.Wegrabbedacoupleoflongpipesandhitthemtoseewhatonesmadea
solidnote.WefoundonethatwasaCandusedthatone.Wethencutpipesslightlyshorterand
testedthemuntilwehitthenextnote.Werepeatedthisuntilwegot8notes(ininches14.5isC,
14D,12.5E,11.5F,10.5G,9.6A,9B,and8.5C).Oncewemadeallthepipeswemadeour
stand.WeattachedthreepiecesofwoodtogethermakingaupsidedownUshape.Wethen
drilledholesintothetoppiecetofeedfishinglinethroughtohangourpipes.Wehadtohangthe
pipesonthefishinglinebecauseitallowstopipetoresonatewithoutstoppingit.

Note

Length(cm)

36.8cm

35.5cm

31.75cm

29.2cm

26.7cm

24.4cm

22.8cm

21.6cm

Thereasonwhyaguitarmakesnoiseyoucanhearisbecausethestringvibrated
createslongitudinalwaves.Wehada1.05mlongpieceofwoodanddrilledboltsintoit.Wetied
thestringsaroundtheboltsandtheothersideofthestringweputthrougha3inby11/3inpiece

ofwood.Thestringlengthis.82meters.Thenweputthewoodwithstringsintoa5gallonjug
andscrewedthewoodintothejug.Wethenusedatuningapptofindoutwhichnotesourguitar
played.Ourhighest(left)stringplaysaE,ourmiddlestringplayedaG,andourlowest(right)
stringplayedanB.Whenplucked,theguitarstringvibrates.Thissetstheairmoleculesaround
thestringtocompressandrarifythesamefrequencyasthestring.Thetighterthestring,the
fasteritvibrates,whichcreatesahigherpitch.Asastringgetsthicker,alowerpitchis
produced.Athickerstringmakesadeepernoisebecauseitvibratesslowerthanathinner
string.Sinceitvibratessloweritproducesalowerfrequency.Thesoundisprojectedlouder
becauseofthewaterjugactingasansoundbox.Thesoundboxamplifiesthevibrationsofthe
strings.Soundboxscanrangefromanyshapesandsizes,fromacircularholeonanacoustic
guitarto2fshapedholesonaviolin.Mostsoundboxareonthefrontofthesoundboard,
althoughtheycanbeonthebackorthesides,nowherenearthestrings.Itworksthesame
eitherway.Halfofourstringsareactuallyinsideofoursoundhole,ortheholewecutoutofa5
gallonjug.Asoundboxamplifiesthenoisebecause
thesidesofthesoundboxcanreflectthe
sound,whichishittingallsidesfromalotfromangles.Duetotheshapeofthesoundbox,the
reflectedwaveswillamplifyeachother,andfocussingthesoundoutwardsinasingledirection.
Tomakeourstringcreatesevendifferentnoteswehadtouseagraphwiththewavelengths
andthefrequencies(http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html).Tofindthedistancewe
neededtoholdourfingerfromtheendofourstringweneededtotakethewavelengthand
divideitbytwo.Thisworksbecausewhenyoupluckthestringitcreateseitheratroughorcrest.
Tocreateawholewavelengthyouneedatroughandacrest,whichwouldbedoublethelength
ofthestring.

Note

Length

Wavelength

.82m

1.64m

.77m

1.54m

.7m

1.40m

.655m

1.31m

.58m

1.16m

.52m

1.04m

.49m

.98m

Thelasttypeofinstrumentwemadewasawindinstrument.Awindinstrumentcreates
noisebecauseitproducesvibrations.Wefirsthaddoresearchonhowwindinstrumentswork.
Welearnedthateachmaterialhasadifferentnaturalfrequency.Naturalfrequencyisthe
frequencyatwhichasystemoscillateswhennotsubjectedtocontinuousorrepeatedexternal
force.Thenaturalfrequencycanbeeffectedbythethicknessandandtheshapeofourbottles.
Soundiscreatedfromblowingintothebottles,becausewhenyoublowacrossthetopofthe
bottleitcreateddifferentpressurezones.Whenthebottlehasahighpressurezoneitpushes
theairoutthetop.Itdisplacesmoreairthanwhatwasoriginallyinthebottle.Evidentlysucking
moreairbackintothebottle.Thesoundwehearistheairgettingpushedoutwhenhigh
pressureiscreated.Tocreateahigherpitchorafasterfrequencyyouhavetoaddmore
water/liquidintothebottle.Thiscreatesahigherfrequencybecausethereislessairmakingthe
wavelengthshorter.Ifyoublowdirectlyintothebottlenosoundwillbecreatedbecausetheair
intheneckofthebottlewillactasashieldblockingtheairfromentering.Thatiswhyyouhave
toblowatanangletocreatethesound.Wefoundthebottlewewantedtouseandfoundout
thatitsnaturalfrequencyisaC.Wethenfilledotherbottlesofthesamesizeupwithdifferent
amountsofwateruntilwegotalltheothernotesCDEFGAB.

Note

DistanceofWaterLevelfromBottom.

0meters

0.04meters

0.075meters

0.095meters

0.12meters

0.14meters

0.17meters